Abstract:

This study replicated and extended some aspects of a project done by Handley (1980). The primary purpose of this study was to test whether satisfaction with the counseling supervisory relationship was related to the degree of personality similarity between counselor trainees and their supervisors. The degree of personality match was measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Satisfaction was assessed using the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory, the Counselor Evaluation Rating Scale, and two general satisfaction questions.The sample was comprised of 42 counselors-in-training at the master's level and 15 superisors at the doctoral level. Supervisors and trainees were paired to make 42 counselor-supervisor dyads. All participants were graduate students at a Midwestern state university counseling psychology program. Twenty six of the trainees were female and 16 were male. Seven of the supervisors were female and 16 were male.In the primary analyses, one-way MANOVAs revealed no relationship between personality match and trainees' and supervisors'satisfaction with supervision. However, several supplementary one-way MANOVAs indicated that there .was a difference in satisfaction with supervision when trainees were matched to same-sex as compared to opposite-sex supervisors. Female trainees were less satisfied with supervision when they were matched with female supervisors. Male trainees were satisfied with both female and male supervisors.Implications of the findings and suggestions for further research were offered. Limitations of the project were also discussed in terms of the type of training program studied and the homogeneity of the participant pool.